Top Schools

The top-ranked school in California with a mechanical engineering program is Stanford University, which is located in Stanford. In 2010, it was ranked 2nd nationwide.
In 2010, 233 students graduated from Stanford University's mechanical engineering program.
Stanford University charged in-state students $40,172 in tuition fees per year.

University of California-Berkeley, which was ranked 5th nationwide in 2010, is the second-ranked school in California that has a mechanical engineering program. It is located in Berkeley.
276 students graduated with degree in mechanical engineering from University of California-Berkeley in 2010.
Tuition at University of California-Berkeley was $10,940 per year.

University of California-Los Angeles, which was ranked 5th nationwide in 2010, is the third-ranked school in California that has a mechanical engineering program. It is located in Los Angeles.
In 2010, 213 students graduated from University of California-Los Angeles mechanical engineering program.
Students at University of California-Los Angeles paid $10,781 per year in tuition fees.

Cost

If you choose to attend a California mechanical engineering school, average tuition will be $10,569 per year. However, tuition at your particular institution may range from $624 per year to $41,022 per year.
In 2010, the mechanical engineering schools that charged the highest tuition rates in California were:

University of Southern California - located in Los Angeles, students are charged $41,022 per year

Stanford University - located in Stanford, students are charged $40,172 per year

University of San Diego - located in San Diego, students are charged $37,372 per year

The mechanical engineering schools that charged the lowest tuition rates in California were:

San Joaquin Delta College - located in Stockton, students are charged $624 per year

Sacramento City College - located in Sacramento, students are charged $644 per year

Fullerton College - located in Fullerton, students are charged $656 per year

A mechanical engineering degree from a California school... what next?

The highest percentage of mechanical engineering graduates in California pursue careers as a mechanical engineer.
22,000 mechanical engineers were working in California in 2010.
The California counties with the largest populations of mechanical engineers are:

Los Angeles County - 5,770 mechanical engineers

San Benito County - 3,950 mechanical engineers

San Diego County - 2,970 mechanical engineers

Projected Growth

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that by 2018, an estimated 23,600 mechanical engineers will be working in California state. This would require the number of mechanical engineers to grow by 2%.

Salary

On average, mechanical engineers earn $90,860 per year.
In 2010, however, some California mechanical engineers earned as little as less than $25,890 per year or as much as more than $159,550 per year.
The following counties in California have the highest average salaries for mechanical engineers:

San Benito County - $104,380 per year

Santa Barbara County - $103,230 per year

Santa Cruz County - $99,000 per year

The California counties with the lowest average salary for mechanical engineers are:

San Joaquin County - $74,030 per year

Stanislaus County - $74,330 per year

Butte County - $77,760 per year

More Information

Take a look at the graphs and charts below for additional California statistics regarding a career in mechanical engineering and to compare salaries with a variety of related fields such as civil engineering or mechanical engineering.